Post Anchor and Post Comprising the Same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a post anchor ( 1 ) comprising two final sections ( 11, 12 ), one ( 11 ) of which can be introduced into a post ( 10 ) while the other one ( 12 ) is used for fixing the anchor ( 1 ) to or in another element. The section ( 11 ) that can be introduced into the post represents a drill bit section ( 11 ) which is used for introducing a bore ( 20 ) into the post ( 10 ) in a substantially stress-free manner. The drill bit section ( 11 ) in the bore ( 20 ) is provided with essentially no axial clearance and is preferably embodied as a screw bit. The drill bit section ( 11 ) has a first smaller drill core diameter ( 31 ) in a first zone ( 31 ) bordering the tip thereof while having a larger drill core diameter ( 32 ) in a second zone ( 32 ) located closer to the other section ( 12 ) in the longitudinal direction thereof ( 13 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a post having a post anchor connected with the post and comprising two end sections, where one section extends into the post and the other section is intended for fastening on or in another element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A post anchor of this type is known from the prior art, for example, from DE 36 34 266. In that document, a screw-in threaded rod is adhesively bonded in a corresponding drillhole in a post, a longitudinal groove being provided on the threaded rod so that the glue can accordingly be allowed to enter the drillhole between the threaded rod and the wall of the drillhole.

Another post anchor is known from DE 199 12 815, in which a threaded spike is provided on a plate which can be placed against the underside of a post, this threaded spike penetrating the post during positioning of the post anchor. Provided on the opposite side of the post anchor is a sleeve with an internal thread so that an anchor bar can be subsequently screwed in outside of the post.

In all the proposals of the prior art, even when the threaded rods are glued in, there is a problem in terms of the parallelism of the post anchor and post. This means that the post anchor does not usually have its center axis lying exactly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the post. This is an unwanted property of such a system and a disadvantage when assembling such post anchor systems on building sites.

In practice, the unit consisting of threaded rod and post is therefore not, as in DE 199 12 815, put together once on the building site; instead, this takes place beforehand so that the parallelism can be achieved to the greatest possible degree under industrial production conditions.

Moreover, the connection of metal anchors in wooden posts usually leaves something to be desired in terms of the force required to extract the anchors, for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Taking this prior art as a starting point, the object on which the invention is based is to provide a post anchor of the type mentioned in the beginning which has better parallelism and in which the fixing is, moreover, better secured against twisting.

In an embodiment of the present invention a post includes a post anchor connected with the post and includes two end sections, where one section extends into the post and the other section is intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the post includes a drillhole, wherein one section is a drill bit section, having in a first segment, adjacent to its tip, a smaller drilling core diameter and having in a second segment, arranged nearer to the other section, a larger drilling core diameter, wherein the drillhole has substantially no radial play with the drill bit section for arranging the section introduced in the post in the drillhole in the post in a substantially stress-free manner.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a post anchor includes two end sections, where one section can be introduced into a post and the other section is intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the section which can be introduced into the post is a drill bit section for making a drillhole in the post in a substantially stress-free manner, which drillhole has substantially no radial play with the drill bit section, characterized in that the drill bit section has in a first segment, in the longitudinal direction adjacent to its tip, a smaller drilling core diameter and in a second segment, arranged nearer to the other section, a larger drilling core diameter.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method includes introducing a post anchor into a post, characterized in that it includes the following steps: (a)

drilling a drillhole in the post with the drill bit section (11) of the post anchor, (b) introducing adhesive into the drillhole with the drill bit section inserted so as to take up, by filling, any remaining radial play and the axial play of the drill bit section in the drillhole, or, alternatively, withdrawing the drill bit section, introducing adhesive into the drillhole and reinserting the drill bit section into the at least partially adhesive-filled drillhole.

This object is achieved with a post having a post anchor connected with the post and comprising two end sections, where one section extends into the post and the other section is intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the post comprises a drillhole, wherein one section is a drill bit section, having in a first segment, adjacent to its tip, a smaller drilling core diameter and having in a second segment, arranged nearer to the other section, a larger drilling core diameter, wherein the drillhole has substantially no radial play with the drill bit section for arranging the section introduced in the post in the drillhole in the post in a substantially stress-free manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a post according to an embodiment of the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. The single drawing shows a partly sectioned perspective view of a post together with an inserted post entrance.

The reference number 1 is used to denote a post. The post 1 is made of wood and has a square cross section. Of course, the cross section may also be shaped differently, being for example round or elliptical, rectangular or polygonal. The material of the post 1 may also be chosen from another material only if these materials are similar to wood within the context given below. The similarity in question is in particular important for plastic materials.

Said post 1 has a longitudinal axis whose orientation here is indicated by the arrow 2 running parallel to it. The post 1 can be fastened on a wall or floor surface (not shown in the FIGURE) with the aid of a post anchor (anchor 10 for short) according to the invention. The FIGURE shows one moment during the production of the connection between anchor 10 and post 1 when the anchor 10 has not yet been fully sunk in the post 1.

The anchor 10 is preferably constructed in one piece and as such comprises at least two different regions 11 and 12. The first region 11 is made up of an auger bit, this region 11 being intended to be set into the post 1. The second region 12 can be designed according to the particular application of the post anchor; in particular it may thus be a threaded rod section. This threaded rod section 12, either by itself or by way of a further section (not shown in the drawing), can be positively connected to a drive, for example a drilling machine, to enable the auger bit 11 to be driven into the post 1.

The FIGURE shows, in dotted form, the outlines of a drillhole 20 in which the auger bit section 11 has already been advanced more than halfway. Instead of using an auger bit which allows chips cut out of the post to be lifted out, use may also be made of any other drill bit which makes possible the production of a stress-free bore, in particular in wood, in which there is no radial play. Radial play here is to be understood as meaning the distance 21 between the outside of the drill bit 11 and the inner wall of the bore 20.

The auger bit 11 extracts chips from the drillhole 20 and at the same time creates a certain free space in the axial direction, i.e., along the longitudinal axis 13 of the anchor 10, into which free space an adhesive can be passed in through the upper opening 22 of the bore 20 once the drill bit section 11 has been fully inserted. Particularly advantageous adhesives are epoxy resin-based adhesives and polyurethanes. Before the adhesive is introduced, the anchor 10 may preferably be rotated back by an eight to a half of a rotation in order to make it easier to pass in the adhesive. Alternatively, it may be completely withdrawn, the adhesive poured in and the drill bit reinserted.

A drill bit according to the prior art only supports its own weight and forces are solely applied in the longitudinal direction, i.e., along the axis 13. The post anchor 10 here receives the bearing pressure. This is true for the threaded rod section 12 as well as for the drill bit section 11. Therefore the drill bit section 11 according to the invention is divided into two different segments, having received the reference numerals 41 and 42. The two segments are made in one piece. The drill bit section 11 has first drilling core diameter or central core 31, followed by a central segment 42 of the drill bit 11, having a second core diameter 32, being larger than the diameter of the first drilling core diameter 31.

In a preferred embodiment the first drilling core diameter 31 is set between one fourth to one half of the external diameter of the drill bit 11. The second drilling core diameter 32 is set between one half and ⅘ of the external diameter of the drill bit 11. This creates between the two segments 41 and 42 a discontinuity between the diameters of the drilling cores 31 and 32, respectively. The ratio between the axial length of the areas 41 and 42 can be, e.g., between 1:4 and 1:1 preferably around 1:2 for achieving a larger stiffness of the post anchor 10 without impeding the extraction of the chips due to a larger core drill diameter.

Instead of two segments 41 and 42 it is also possible to provide three segments, wherein the smallest core drill diameter has a value of one fourth, the second central core drill diameter has a value of one half and the third largest core drill diameter has a value of ¾ of the external diameter of the drill bit 11. It is of course possible to choose different transitions and a higher number of segments.

Additionally it is possible to use a continuously enlarging drill core for achieving a steady growth of stiffness of the anchor 10 in direction of arrow 2.

The threaded rod section 12 comprises two different elements, the threaded rod as such and the drill chuck support. The threaded rod section 12 and the drill chuck support can be positioned one behind the other on an axis 13, but it is also possible to adapt the side surface of the threaded rod section 12, e.g., providing a groove, to create a drill chuck support within this section.

At location 33 the drill head has a slightly larger diameter then the drill core 34.

The drill bit according to the invention ensures axially correct fitting, allowing the anchor 10 to be well centered in the post 1. The prior art according to DE 199 12 815 employing the spike results in a displacement of the material of the post 1 and thus in stresses therein. The auger bit 10 produces a stress-free bore in wood and other comparable materials.

The length of the anchor 10 depends on its field of application. For a post 1 having a diameter or cross-sectional dimensions of from 5 to 10 centimeters, given a diameter of the auger bit 11 of between 6 and 10 millimeters, a customary total length of the anchor may be between 10 and 70 centimeters. Preferably, this length is divided in half between the drill bit part 11 and the threaded rod part 12. Of course, it is also possible for the threaded rod 12 or the auger bit 11 to be shorter or longer than the respective other section. It is also possible to provide a connection element (not shown in the drawing) between the auger bit 11 and the threaded rod 12 (or a flat rod without a thread). This may be an outer hexagonal section or a disc which is oriented radially with respect to the longitudinal axis.

The anchor 10 according to this invention provides a simple, very secure anchor device which is able to be centered and which is correctly aligned axially, this anchor device 10 being driven into the post 1 beforehand within a storage area or during the production of said post. Alternatively, the post anchor 10 may be set into the posts 1 provided on a building site once on site.

The diameter of the drill bit section 11 of the post anchor 10 can be chosen between 5 and 18 millimeters and the total length of the post anchor 10 can be chosen between 10 and 100 centimeters, wherein said length is preferably divided equally between the drill bit section 11 and the other section 12.

The scope of protection is in no way intended to be limited by the preceding description showing an exemplary embodiment and shall apply only to the claims which follow. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A post comprising: a drillhole provided in a longitudinal end surface of the post and a post anchor, wherein the post anchor comprises: a first section, being a drill bit section and extending into the drillhole of the post and a second section intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the first section comprises: a first segment, adjacent to its tip and having a first drilling core diameter and a second segment, arranged nearer to the second section and having a second drilling core diameter, wherein the first drilling core diameter is smaller than the second drilling core diameter, wherein the drillhole has substantially no radial play with said drill bit section.
 12. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein an adhesive is provided in the free space between the drill bit section and the drill hole in radial direction.
 13. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein an adhesive is provided in the free space between the drill bit section and the drill hole in axial direction.
 14. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein the drill bit is an auger bit in the first and in the second segment.
 15. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first section comprises a third segment, arranged between the first and second segment and having a drill core diameter which is larger than the drill core diameter of the first segment and smaller than the drill core diameter of the second segment.
 16. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein it is designed in one piece and in that the other section is a threaded rod.
 17. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein it is designed in one piece and in that the two sections abut.
 18. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein the drill bore is provided centrally in the longitudinal end surface of the post.
 19. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein the post is made of wood or of plastic materials.
 20. The post as claimed in claim 11, wherein the post has a square, elliptical, rectangular or polygonal cross section.
 21. A post anchor comprising: a first section, being a drill bit section and intended to extend into a drillhole of a post and a second section intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the first section comprises a first segment, adjacent to its tip and having a first drilling core diameter and a second segment, arranged nearer to the second section and having a second drilling core diameter, wherein the first drilling core diameter is smaller than the second drilling core diameter.
 22. The post anchor as claimed in claim 21, wherein the ratio between the axial length of the first area having the first drilling core diameter to the area having the second drilling core diameter is between 1:3 and 1:1
 23. The post anchor as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first drilling core diameter is set between one fourth to one half of the external diameter of the drill bit and the second drilling core diameter is set between one half and ⅘ of the external diameter of the drill bit.
 24. A method of introducing a post anchor into a post, wherein the post comprises: a drillhole provided in a longitudinal end surface of the post and a post anchor, and wherein the post anchor comprises: a first section, being a drill bit section and extending into the drillhole of the post and a second section intended for fastening on or in another element, wherein the first section comprises: a first segment, adjacent to its tip and having a first drilling core diameter and a second segment, arranged nearer to the second section and having a second drilling core diameter, wherein the first drilling core diameter is smaller than the second drilling core diameter, wherein the drillhole has substantially no radial play with said drill bit section, the method comprising the steps of: drilling a drillhole in the post with the drill bit section of the post anchor, introducing an adhesive into the drillhole with the drill bit section inserted so as to take up, by filling, any remaining radial play and the axial play of the drill bit section in the drillhole, or, alternatively, withdrawing the drill bit section, introducing adhesive into the drillhole and reinserting the drill bit section into the at least partially adhesive-filled drillhole.
 25. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that, prior to introducing the adhesive, the post anchor is rotated back by an eighth to a half of a rotation. 